Combination fruit press and strainer



Nov. 10, 1931. A. WLJRDACK L COMBINATION FRUIT PRESS AND STRAINER Filed Jan. 31, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A. WURDACK Nov. 10, 1931.

COMBINATION FRUIT PRESS AND STRAINER Filed Jan. 51, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 10, 1931 UNITED s r .;'i*r:.s

ARTEUR F NORMANDY, MISSOURI.

eommmirron FRUIT. rnn-ss AND s'rlnarnna Application filed January 31, 1929. Serial No. 336,342.

This invention relates to a combination fruit press and strainer and consists of the novel construction hereinafter disclosed;

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for pressing out the juice from fruit pulp and for straining'the same, including means for agitating the body of pulp placed in the apparatus;

' Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described including a cylinder having reticulated bottom, an agitator adapted to rotate in the bottom equipped with radially movableblades for pressing the material in the cylinder against the reticulated bottom, said" agitator also being provided with. oppositely arranged agi tators for distributing the body of the material in the cylinder substantially equally and to agitate or stir the body material constantly throughout the operation of the appara-tus.

These objects, as well as others, will be ap parent from the foregoing description reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan view,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, a portion being broken away to illustrate the reticulated bottom of the agitating cylinder,

Fig. 3 is an end view,

Fig. 4 is a plan view with the upper portion of the agitating cylinder removed,

Fig. 5 is a vertical section,

Fig. 6 is a transverse section, and

Fig. 7 is a detailed view illustrating the mounting of the agitator blades.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings the device is shown as including a rectangular frame 1 supported by legs 2 to hold the frame in an elevated position above a horizontal support upon which the apparatus may be inountec. An apron 3 is preferably attached below the frame and against the inner face of the legs 2 at each end of the apparatus to prevent outward splashing of the juice or material passing from the cylinder of the apparatus. If desired, spaced strips 4 may be attached to the inner face of the aprons 3 said strips forming a channel in between to provide a support for a: removable leaf 5 that inclines inwardly toward the'center of the apparatus to dejlect the material passing from the cylinder. Extending. below the frame 1 and attached thereto is; a semi-cylindrical reticulated wall 6 which forms the bottom of the z'igitatingcylinder. At each end. of the reticulated wall. are vertical end walls 7 attached ier iace'of the legs andforming, with Lila-ted wall 6, he lower portion of c linder. The upper portion of ating'cylinder is forn'ied from a recir frame 8 that fits upon the upper sur face of'the frame 1 and is connected theretoby hooks 9 or other connecting devices, hinges being used onone side and a hook on the other if desired;

A semi-cylindr cal imperforate wall IO is connected to theframe SI and at each endof the" wall 10 is a semi circular imperforate wall 11 so that when the frames are together a complete cylindrical container having an imperforate upper wall and end walls and a reticulated bottom wall is formed.

-'l=he agitator comprises a: central shaft 12 that is of a lengtlisuiiici'ent to extend beyond he endsoftheagitatingcylinder when the agitator is mountedther'ein.

Journalsare -formed for the shaft 12 by proriding'semicircularnotches 13in the adjacent edges of the walls andill so that when the upperportion of the cylinder is removed the agitatormay be readily lifted from its mounting and when the two walls-1 and 8 are together the shaft 12*,will be held in posit-ion for rotation.

The shaft 12' is ll'GVlClQd at one: end with a crank 1% for manual operation. It, of course, may be driven by any other suitableare spaced so that the: outer faces thereof are adjacent to the end walls of the agitating:

cylinder and are rig dly held. in adjustment byltransvers'c 'tie 'roc.s=1='7 connected at their opposite ends'intothe'body ofthe dlscs 15.

The discs are equipped with leaves forming paddles, said leaves are formed from elongated rectangular members 18 which have a length corresponding substantially to the distance between the inner faces of the discs 15.

At each end of the member 18 are plates 19 attached to one face of the members 18 and extending beyond the respective ends thereof, and said plates seat in radial slots 20 extending inwardly from the periphery of the discs 15 and are retained in position by retaining plates 21 attached over the ends of the slots. The depth of the slots 20 is slightly in excess of the width of the plates 19 which permit a radial movement of the leaves or paddles.

Strips 22 of flexible material are attached to the members 18 adjacent to their outer longitudinal edges, said strips forming wipers. The leaves are preferably arranged in pairs diametrically opposite each other and a single pair has been found to be satisfactory in practice although the number may be increased if desired. 7

Between the members 18 are strips 23, said strips being disposed between the inner faces of the discs 15 opposite to each other and inclined in opposite directions. The strips are mounted so that the narrow edge thereof is at the periphery of the agitator and the wider face extends inwardly toward the center. These strips constitute distributors for moving the body of the material back and forth I across the periphery of the agitator so as to equalize the material across the face of the reticulated bottom in advance of the leaves carrying the wipers.

By rotating the agitator the body of the material in the cylinder is thoroughly agitated and the juice and small particles that may pass through the openings in the reticulated bottom of the agitator are forced there through and accumulated in the container placed below the apparatus.

After the apparatus has been operated sufficiently to force from the body of the material all of the component thereof that will pass through the reticulated bottom, the upper segment of the cylinder is removed and the accumulated mass of material that does not pass through the bottom is removed.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the apparatus provides an extremely efficient machine for treating fruit pulp to separate from the fiber and other component 7 of the material all of the juice and small particles, and that throughout the operation of the device clogging of the material is avoided by the equal distribution thereof resulting from the construction of the agitator. The relative movement of the members 18 radially in respect of the periphery of the agitator permits free rotation of the agitator and constitutes a highly efficient means of squeez ing out the small particles of the material and forcing it through the bottom.

I am aware that the invention may be modified in certain particulars without departing from the nature, principle and scope thereof. I do not limit myself, therefore, to the exact details shown and described but what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus ofthe class described, an agitating cylinder having imperforate end and top walls and a reticulated bottom wall, a revoluble shaft extending through said chamber and outwardly through the end walls thereof, a handle for operating said shaft, an agitator carried by said shaft, including end discs, wiper blades mounted in said discs, and oppositely extending agitator and distributing blades arranged within the periphery of said discs and between said wiper blades. 7

c 2. An apparatus of the class described comprising a cylindrical container having an imperforate upper wall and a reticulated bottom wall, an agitator mounted in said container and adapted to rotate therein, said agitator being provided with a plurality of radially moving cross members and a flexible strip mounted on the outer edge of each of said cross members for engagement with the cylindrical wall and oppositely. extending agitating and distributing plates located between said cross members. 7

ARTHUR'WURDACK. 

